What’s So Special About Ninja?

While these function like other drip coffee makers, Ninjas are some of the most unique coffee machines because they have so many brewing options, all neatly packaged in one machine.

Let’s dive into the features of Ninja coffee machines, and then we’ll help you decide which one is right for you.

Options, Options, Options

One of the main reasons people choose Ninja is variety.

Each brewer listed here can brew coffee in 4 DIFFERENT WAYS, and some of them have 5 CHOICES for your daily dose.

Every Ninja coffee machine can brew classic, rich, over ice, and specialty. The bonus brew is cafe forte that only a few models feature. Let’s take a quick look at each brewing method.

Classic - The coffee you already know and love. It’s smooth and balanced for daily sipping.

Rich - Richer than classic, the flavors of your coffee will be more pronounced and will hold up to milk or added flavor much better.

Iced - Brew hot on top of ice for a refreshing iced coffee that is not watered down. There are so many things you can do with iced coffee from your Ninja brewer.

Specialty - A concentrate similar to traditional espresso at your favorite coffee shop. This concentrate is intended to make a great latte or even a frozen, blended beverage.

Cafe forte - If you want the most out of your coffee, you want cafe forte. This method is designed to bring out the most lively, complex characteristics of the coffee allowing the coffee to shine. Forte produces a full-bodied cup of coffee that tastes great black or with some steamed milk.

Smart Water

Each of the Ninja brewers comes equipped with AUTO-IQ ONE TOUCH INTELLIGENCE.

What does this mean for you? Simply select the type of brew you would like along with the serving size and add the appropriate amount of coffee. The machine will automatically use the correct amount of water, pulled directly from the attached water reservoir.

No more measuring out water each time - simply fill the reservoir when it’s empty. If you are only brewing single cups, you won’t need to fill it every time. Furthermore, Ninja machines come with a clean light to tell you when it's time to remove nasty minerals from the water system, and a clean button that makes it easy.

The single serve brewer is the entry-level Ninja coffee maker. It’s the least expensive but still packs in a ton of features. This machine has all 5 possible brew methods; classic, rich brew, over-ice, specialty and cafe forte. The Specialty brew pairs nicely with milk frothed using the built-in milk frother.

Though it’s a single serve brewer, you still have 4 size options; single cup, large cup, travel mug and multi-serve. You can brew for two, but it won’t make a full carafe. It even comes with a 22oz to-go tumbler that is suitable for both cold and hot coffee.

Brew coffee for a crowd or for yourself with this machine. It comes with a 43 oz glass carafe to brew your coffee into, allowing you to share with fellow coffee drinkers.

The Intelligent Warming Plate will keep your coffee hot for up to 2 hours. You can also buy the thermal carafe version if you prefer not to use a glass carafe on a heating plate, but it’s more expensive.

This machine also gives you the option of brewing just a single cup, with the perfect amount of water. Just hit the single cup button and you are good to go. The machine has only 4 brewing options, meaning it cannot create a cafe forte coffee.

It also does not have a built-in frother, though you can purchase one separately if you like.

The machine is 10.8 x 10.5 x 14.9 inches, making it the smallest on the list.

The final brewer on our list is the CF091. It is around the same price as #2, so we aren’t competing on price with this one. It is a similar build to the single serve machine, but it’s bigger and gives the option to brew a full carafe, a half carafe, or just a single cup.

With this one, however, you can brew using all 5 methods for either a single cup or a carafe, giving you more flexibility than the previous machines.

One slick feature: the drip stop lever, which allows you to grab a cup while brewing a larger amount without spilling hot coffee all over the counter.

The frother is built-in and the 10 cup glass carafe stays hot on the heating plate. This is also available with a thermal car​​afe, which is more expensive.

This machine is 15 x 11.3 x 16.3 inches, making it the largest of the 3.

PROS

Brew as much as you want. Single serve, half carafe, or full carafe brewing

THE VERDICT: Which Is The Ninja Of All Ninjas?

Number 3, the CF091 takes the cake for us. With the most flexibility in brew methods and sizes, coffee lovers shouldn’t pass this one up. The perfect single cup brewing along with the option of brewing an entire carafe, hot, iced or cafe forte gives you incredible value.

UPDATE: We are currently looking at the Ninja Speciality coffee maker which is approved by the SCAA - review coming soon.

Have you ever used a Ninja coffee bar? Maybe it’s time you tried. Let us know how your coffee tastes and what brew method you use the most. If these Ninja brewers are not for you, check out other coffee makers here.

Alex

Alex is the Founder and Editor of Homegrounds.co. He is passionate about brewing amazing coffee at home, and teaching others to do the same.

About HomeGrounds

We are obsessed with great coffee - and since you've ended up here, we can only assume that you are too! Our goal is simple - to continue to learn about speciality coffee, develop our home brewing skills, and to share what we learn about it with the you and the rest of the world.

HomeGrounds.co is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

That being said, we only recommend products that we truly believe will make your coffee journey more pleasurable!